MA Program

The Urban Studies Department at Queens College Offers a Master of Arts degree in Urban Affairs, which provides an interdiscipinlary approach to the study of cities, especially New York City. We prepare students for professional work in urban administration, organization and policy in the public and nonprofit sectors.

The master’s program provides opportunities for students to learn about current issues in urban affairs.

Courses are taught by practitioners, including government officials and directors of community-based organizations.

We offer some online courses which allow students to learn in a flexible environment

Students have internship opportunities which enable them to gain practical knowledge of policy, organizing, advocacy, and management.

The Urban Studies Lecture Series gives students the opportunity to meet scholars and professionals doing urban research, community organizing, and policy work.

We invite applications from students with undergraduate or M.A. degrees who are interested in preparing for professional work in urban administration, organization, and policy in the public and nonprofit sectors. We do not require GRE Scores, but we want students who seek to become leaders in urban affairs.

If your undergraduate GPA is 3.0 or greater, you can apply to matriculate. If not, you can apply for non-matriculated status. To apply for matriculation you should apply through the online process.

For more detailed information regarding the admissions process, please visit the MA APPLICATION CENTER to apply.

WHAT CAN I DO WITH A MASTER DEGREE IN URBAN AFFAIRS?

Our students are well prepared for advancement in government agencies or non profit and
community organizations. Career options include:

Administration

Community Organizing

Advocacy

Policy Analysis

Agency Operations

Research

Service Delivery

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

This 30-credit Master’s Degree includes a 12-credit core sequence:

URBST 620. Urban Research Writing

URBST 724. Introduction to Public Policy

URBST 725. Urban Research Methods

and either

URBST 727. Public Management or

URBST 745. Community Organization

Plus 18 credits in other Urban Studies or related courses to round out the degree. Students not employed in an urban-related field are encouraged to take 3-6 credits of fieldwork. Where appropriate and with the approval of the graduate advisor, up to 12 credits may be taken in other departments.

Electives: For your electives, you are free to choose from among any of the department’s courses. See our MA courses page for a full listing.

SUBMITTING RESEARCH PAPERS FOR COURSES

Many courses in the Urban Affairs program will require you to write research papers. No matter what the length of the paper, it should be documented with full and proper citation for all sources that you use, including scholarly articles, web sources, interviews, and newspaper articles. See the QC Library website which provides guidance to manuals on citation styles.

Contact the Writing Center if you need help in writing proper research papers. The Writing Center is located in Kiely 229 and can be reached at 718-997-5676.

WHO ARE OUR STUDENTS?

AGATHE DOREL

MICHAEL HARMON

CHARRISE ANDREWS

MARC TONEATTO

VICTOR CALISE

The students in our MA program come from a range of occupations. Some are government employees looking to advance their careers, others are returning to school after many years, and still others want to embark on a new career path. But they all recognize the importance of earning a master’s degree.